Read more about this disease, some with Classification – Types – Signs and symptoms – Genetics – Pathophysiology – Diagnosis – Screening – Prevention – Treatment and management – Cures and much more, some including pictures and video when available.
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2 is a group of medical disorders associated with tumors of the endocrine system. The tumors may be benign or malignant (cancer). They generally occur in endocrine organs (e.g. thyroid, parathyroid, and adrenals), but may also occur in endocrine tissues of organs not classically thought of as endocrine.
MEN2 is a sub-type of MEN (multiple endocrine neoplasia) and itself has sub-types, as discussed below.
Before gene testing was available, the type and location of tumors determined which type of MEN2 a person had. Gene testing now allows a diagnosis before tumors or symptoms develop.
A table in the multiple endocrine neoplasia article compares the various MEN syndromes. MEN2 and MEN1 are distinct conditions, despite their similar names. MEN2 includes MEN2A, MEN2B, and familial medullary thyroid cancer.
The common feature among the three sub-types of MEN2 is a high propensity to develop medullary thyroid carcinoma.
MEN2 can present with a sign or symptom related to a tumor or, in the case of multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2b, with characteristic musculoskeletal and/or lip and/or gastrointestinal findings.
The table in the multiple endocrine neoplasia article lists the genes involved in the various MEN syndromes. Most cases of MEN2 derive from a variation in the RET proto-oncogene, and are specific for cells of neural crest origin.
[tubepress mode=’tag’, tagValue=’Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2′]